partisan 1 of 2

partisan

2 of 2

noun

variants also partizan
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2
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as in sectarian
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices she's too much of a political partisan to ever concede that the other side might have a valid point

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word partisan different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of partisan are adherent, disciple, and follower. While all these words mean "one who gives full loyalty and support to another," partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.

partisans of the President

When could adherent be used to replace partisan?

The synonyms adherent and partisan are sometimes interchangeable, but adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.

adherents to Marxism

When might disciple be a better fit than partisan?

While the synonyms disciple and partisan are close in meaning, disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.

disciples of Gandhi

When can follower be used instead of partisan?

Although the words follower and partisan have much in common, follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.

an evangelist and his followers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of partisan
Adjective
Unsurprisingly, the responses were divided along partisan lines, with 75% of Democrats against the deal and 58% of Republicans in favor. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025 Rotary clubs are intended not to be partisan or sectarian. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2025
Noun
The other choice is an extreme partisan, someone who is selling out to special interests, has a long history of doing that, and has now tied himself to Elon Musk. Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025 The Piazzale Loreto is where the body of dictator Benito Mussolini was strung and up stoned after his execution by Italian partisans. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for partisan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisan
Adjective
  • Oddly, Long’s name was blacked out of that leaked partial copy of the complaint, but Pryor’s was not.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2025
  • Plus, a partial outage affecting some network repeaters is causing more problems: the card reader only works intermittently, and that leads to endless lines of frustrated customers.
    Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • This post-neoliberal script has adherents on both sides of the political aisle.
    Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • But after making an initial splash in 2009 thanks to high-profile adherents like marathon star Paula Radcliffe, the first wave of high-quality studies supported the idea that beet juice really does improve endurance.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Perhaps no other American statesman has ever disdained the role of idealism in foreign policy—the meddling of human-rights activists and democracy crusaders—quite like Kissinger.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025
  • In recent years, a trend has taken shape in the nation’s capital, where everyone from tech billionaires and hedge fund titans to crypto crusaders and cabinet picks is descending on D.C., not just for influence, but for real estate.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • People want to get rid of religious parties, people want to put sectarians behind to build an Iraq for all Iraqis.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2015
  • Both sides insist the other initiated the initial volley of gunfire that killed four agents and six sectarians.
    Joshua Alston, Variety, 12 Apr. 2023
Adjective
  • And Marguerite did actually manage to live there for years, scraping together a life on the hostile tundra.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
  • And this is a very hard-line government that has taken a kind of hostile view of everybody in the region.
    Obed Manuel, NPR, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Pope Francis, the first head of the Catholic Church from the Americas and a champion of people on the margins, passed away at age 88 on Easter Monday, leaving vacant his seat at the head of the ancient institution with 1.4 billion followers worldwide.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 May 2025
  • While religious leaders scramble to silence his growing influence, Jesus shares one last meal with his closest followers.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • What To Know Exit poll results on Sunday showed Simion, a nationalist who has voiced support for President Donald Trump, leading with 30 percent, or more, of the vote.
    Peter Aitken Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025
  • Since the terrorist attack — in which all but one of those killed were Hindu tourists — Hindu nationalists, including officials in Mr. Modi’s party, have used the assault to expand their demonization of Muslims.
    Showkat Nanda Atul Loke, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the distorted reality of Trump 2.0, that slightly lighter punch in the gut is what counts as relief.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
  • Nicole Schaefer Nicole Schaefer, RN, LME, is a prominent figure in the aesthetics industry who possesses the power to transform every distorted reflection into a work of art.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 7 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Partisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisan. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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